Euronews

Gold keeps hitting new record highs on an almost daily basis. On Wednesday it went above $1,440 an ounce.

Investors are piling into the precious metal as a safe haven from risk because of fears that violence in the Middle East and North Africa will spread.

Analysts said that any fresh unrest in the region is likely to push the price higher.

Silver prices are also at their strongest in 31 years.

Gold rose six percent in February, its biggest one-month climb since August, largely on the back of unrest that unseated leaders in Tunisia and Egypt before spreading to Libya, Bahrain, Yemen, Oman and elsewhere.

Ongoing violence in the region cooled investors’ appetite for assets seen as higher risk, like shares, and boosted other so-called safe havens like US Treasuries, German government bonds and the Swiss franc.